The ongoing legal battle between Elon Musk and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) highlights the contentious relationship between the billionaire and the regulator.

In the latest development of the feud between Elon Musk and the SEC, financial regulators in the US have filed a lawsuit against the billionaire after he refused to cooperate with their investigation into his purchase of Twitter, now known as X. The SEC has asked a federal court to order Musk to comply with their request for a third session of testimony about the deal. However, Musk’s lawyer has accused the SEC of “harassment” and stated that Musk declines to appear as demanded.

This lawsuit is just the latest in a series of conflicts between Musk and the SEC. Musk has previously expressed his lack of respect for the regulator on national television. The SEC initiated its investigation into Musk’s $44 billion purchase of X last year, looking into whether his stock purchases and statements about those investments violated securities laws.

Musk had already participated in two half-days of testimony via video conference in July, but the SEC argues that another session is necessary due to the additional documents received after those meetings. However, Musk’s attorney argues that it is unclear why further time is required from Musk, diverting him from his obligations to companies and shareholders.

This legal battle is reminiscent of the SEC’s previous charges against Musk in 2018. At that time, Musk was accused of defrauding investors by claiming in a tweet that he had “funding secured” to take Tesla private. He settled the charges by stepping down as chairman of Tesla’s board and accepting limitations on his social media activity regarding the company.

Additionally, a judge in New York recently ruled that Musk must face a lawsuit from former Twitter investors who claim he defrauded them by failing to promptly disclose his share purchases. However, an insider trading claim was dismissed.

This ongoing conflict between Musk and the SEC raises questions about the billionaire’s attitude towards regulatory authorities and his willingness to cooperate with investigations. It also highlights the challenges regulators face in holding powerful individuals accountable for their actions.

As the legal battle continues, it remains to be seen how the court will rule and what implications this case will have for Musk and the SEC.